So Long and Goodnight
by theBrutalityofReality
Summary: Germany finds a bloodstained Italy on the battlefield. He cannot accept that Italy is going to die, but he does take this moment to confess something to the Italian. Germany/Italy


**Author's Note:** My first real angst-driven fanfiction. I usually prefer to write humor fanfictions, but this idea just had to be done. This fanfiction was inspired by two main things - The beautiful picture APH Soldier Side by virus-AC74 on Deviantart, and (CODE GEASS SPOILER) Shirley's death from Code Geass. Even though I despise Shirely, her death was very emotional.

I still can't believe I killed off my favorite character from Hetalia. I love Italy!

All he could hear were gun shots. The soldiers were all firing away carelessly, not even thinking about what could possibly happen if someone was hit in the bullet. You couldn't trust anyone on the battlefield. You sometimes couldn't even trust the ones on your side. The only person you could truly trust was yourself. And sometimes, a very close ally, someone that you loved dearly. But that person shouldn't be brought on the battlefield in the first place. Ludwig didn't know it then, but he would suffer from that later on.

He held his gun in his hand as he crouched down low in hiding. The allied powers had sent some military troops to attack the Axis powers by surprised. The Axis Powers were outnumbered a lot, due to it being a surprise attack. Many bloodstained bodies were left all over the battlefield. Ludwig knew not to feel sorrow for this. Lives had to be lost, as these were times of war. With any luck, they would be able to hold out long enough and even retreat if necessary. Ludwig really didn't care for surrendering though. He didn't want the Allied Powers to think that they were weak. At the thought of surrendering, he thought of Feliciano. For some reason, the Italian had followed him to the battlefield. He said that he wanted to be there to help if needed. Ludwig had just told him to sit aside and hide. Ludwig also gave him a First-Aid kit to care for any wounded comrades that came to him. Ludwig felt confident that he was alright. He was so far from where the fighting was going on, so the enemy probably wouldn't get to him.

But then Ludwig heard a scream. A scream of pain. A scream of death. And unfortunately, Ludwig knew that voice all too well. He felt himself freeze for a moment in absolute disbelief. No…they couldn't have gotten him. How would they know where he was hiding? They shouldn't know about that. The only logical explanation that the German could think of was that Feliciano left his hiding spot. Without wasting another moment, Ludwig sprang from his own hiding spot and he went searching for Feliciano. Maybe he wasn't too late. Maybe he could still save him. As the German ran, he was praying that the wound was not too deep. He hoped over many bodies of fallen comrades, not even looking twice at them though. He was only interested in getting to one person in time. It was unfortunate that the air was thick and dark due to the rain pouring down, which made it hard for him to see anything. All of the faces on the dead bodies sort of looked the same too. Ludwig was beginning to panic. Where on earth was he?

"D-Doitsu…" Ludwig heard from behind him. Recognizing the voice, Ludwig turned his head around quickly and looked down. The sight that he saw was terrible. He felt like his heart had just been smashed. Feliciano was lying on the ground, covered in his own blood. He had been shot, which could clearly be seen by the large bullet hole in his upper stomach. He didn't look as if he was dying though. Mainly because…he had a smile on his face. He was smiling at Ludwig. Why would he be smiling in his darkest hour?

"I'm glad that I got to see you…before I died." Feliciano managed to stutter. Die? No! Ludwig wouldn't let that happen. He had to save him. This wound could easily be fixed! He just needed to hurry and get him back to the first-aid kit.

"Don't say that! We can still save you! Just let me carr-" Ludwig began but Feliciano just shook his head. "No…it's time. I can tell. Don't worry about me Doitsu. I'm going to be okay. Maybe I'll see Grandpa Rome." Feliciano was still smiling to Ludwig. Ludwig watched Feliciano smile. His smile was just so…beautiful. And this was the last time that he was ever going to see that gorgeous smile. Tears rolled down the face of the German. Why? Why did this have to happen to Feliciano? He didn't deserve this! He was such a good person! Why did he have to die? Why did the Allied Powers have to attack today? Why didn't he tell Feliciano to go home? Why didn't he tell Feliciano how he felt earlier? Pretty soon, Ludwig was sobbing. He punched the ground hard in aggravation. It was just so unfair. Feliciano's smile vanished for a minute as he noticed the tears coming from the German.

"Doitsu…why are you crying? I never saw you cry before. You're so strong." Feliciano said, though it was growing harder for him to talk. His time alive was slowly running around. "Please don't cry Doitsu. It just makes me want to cry…be the strong Doitsu that I know."

Strong? How could he be strong? The person that he cared about most in the whole world was dead. Ludwig was in absolute ruins. He tightened his hands into fists and his tears came down more rapidly. He looked into the eyes of the other. "I just…don't want you to die! Please Italy! Please let me save you! I can do something! I know that I can." Ludwig cried out in between his sobs.

"I know that this is it Doitsu. I don't want to die either. I'd really like to stay here with you. Maybe I would have become stronger like you. Maybe we would have found some new friends. Maybe I'd actually start to like your gross potatoes." Feliciano managed to let out a small laugh. But Ludwig just couldn't laugh. "I wish we could have found out…" Feliciano said quietly. Ludwig looked away from the other, not able to see the horrible sight before him. This was the worst thing that ever happened to him. He lost his first friend and his true love. Love…Ludwig looked to the blood-stained body. He needed to hold it. He gently lifted up the small Italian man and he wrapped his muscular arms around him. He could feel the blood pouring out, acting almost like an hour-glass. It was almost timing how much longer Feliciano had left. When too much blood was lost, it was over. Ludwig didn't have much time left. There were so many things that he wanted to say to the Italian. So many things that he still wanted to do with him. But he knew that he only had time to say one last thing to him. And he chose the most important of them all.

"I love you Feliciano. I never loved someone as much as you." Ludwig confessed, the tears still running down his cheeks. A small amount of silence passed, and Ludwig was afraid that Feliciano had died. But he still felt a very faint heartbeat. Though his heart only had a few beats left.

"I love you too Doitsu…you were always so good to me." Feliciano told the other. Ludwig wanted to do one last thing before he lost Feliciano forever. He gently put him back on the ground and he leaned in and kissed him deeply. His lips were just as soft and warm like Ludwig had thought. He wished that he could have gotten more opportunities to kiss them. Being very weak at the moment, Feliciano couldn't kiss back that much but he still did a little. After they parted, Feliciano smiled yet again.

"Smile with me Doitsu. I want to die happy. Please?" Feliciano asked. Ludwig wanted to fufill this last request for Feliciano. It was the least that he could do. A very small smile appeared on his lips, and he took Feliciano's hand.

"That's better. I like when you smile. I'm glad…I got to see it." Feliciano paused, his eyes closing. "Goodbye Ludwig. I love you…" These were his last words before death finally came for him. Feliciano did indeed die with a smile on his face. The same beautiful smile that Ludwig fell in love with. It was amazing what happened after though. The Allied Powers ran out of ammo and retreated. The rain had stopped and the sun came out. Ludwig knew that this was no coincidence. He had stopped all of this. Even though everyone viewed him as a weak surrender, Feliciano came through in the very end. He didn't surrender. Ludwig looked up to the now clear sky and then back to the smile of Feliciano. He shut his bright blue eyes for a moment and tightened his hold on the hand.

"Thank you for everything…my love."


End file.
